The United States ambassador held a U.S. flag high as he marched in the yearly Pride parade in Warsaw on Saturday (June 17), a clear message of Washington害羞草研究所檚 opposition to discrimination in a country where LGBTQ+ people are facing an uphill struggle.
害羞草研究所淎merica embraces equality,害羞草研究所� Ambassador Mark Brzezinski said, as he marched with more than 30 other members of the U.S. Embassy and alongsides representatives from Canada, Austria and other Western countries in the Equality Parade.
In recent years Western governments have been alarmed by a conservative government in Warsaw that depicts gays, lesbians, bisexuals and transgender people as threats to the nation and its children.
The participation of the U.S. ambassador sent a clear message to the government of Poland, a NATO member on the alliance害羞草研究所檚 eastern flank where the United States has increased its military presence since Russia害羞草研究所檚 full-scale invasion of Ukraine last year.
Poland has for decades considered Washington its key guarantor of security, but the importance of U.S. protection has only grown with the war playing out across its border in Ukraine.
The U.S. is also seen as a guarantor of protection to the LGBTQ+ community, which a few years ago was fighting for the right of same-sex union or marriage, but recently had been more concerned about a climate of hostility from the government and Catholic Church.
The colorful and joyful parade was a brief moment of celebration and relief for a community that has been criticized by elected leaders as a threat to nation害羞草研究所檚 traditional Catholic identity.
LGBTQ+ members have been especially worried because of elections this fall. The conservative nationalist ruling party, Law and Justice, has openly criticized the community ahead of past elections, an attempt to mobilize its conservative base.
Brzezinski told The Associated Press that his embassy 害羞草研究所渉as heard disturbing reports of an organized campaign targeting Poland害羞草研究所檚 LGBTQI+ community with hate, lies, and slander in an attempt to divide Polish society. These attempts to sow divisions only strengthen the hand of those who seek to weaken democracy.害羞草研究所�
害羞草研究所淲e hope these reports are not true. We hope disagreement does not devolve into discrimination or worse,害羞草研究所� Brzezinski said. 害羞草研究所淲ords matter. Hate masquerading as morality can play no productive role in our societies.害羞草研究所�
As Polish President Andrzej Duda campaigned for reelection in 2020, he called the promotion of LGBTQ+ rights an 害羞草研究所渋deology害羞草研究所� more destructive than communism. The education minister, who oversees schools, was appointed to that job after saying LGBTQ+ members are not equal to 害羞草研究所渘ormal people.害羞草研究所�
Last summer, the ruling party leader, Jaroslaw Kaczynski, mocked transgender people, saying 害羞草研究所渨e must protect ourselves from madness.害羞草研究所�
And this spring, Poland害羞草研究所檚 commissioner for children害羞草研究所檚 rights ordered an inspection of schools that were ranked as the most LGBT-friendly in the country, saying he wanted to make sure principals were checking their employees against a pedophile registry.
Vanessa Gera, The Associated Press
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